Efecto del manejo silvopastoril sobre la estructura y dinámica poblacional de bosques mixtos de ciprés de la cordillera (Austrocedus chilensis) y coihue (Nothofagus dombeyi)

AMOROSO, MARIANO; CHILLO, MARIA VERONICA; ALCALA, VANESA; REZZANO, CARLOS; VILLACIDE, EZEQUIEL

Congreso; Congreso Latinoamericano IUFRO de Ecología del Paisaje; 2016

The mixed cordilleran cypress and coihue forests in northwestern Patagonia are subject of strong anthropicactivities such silvopastoral use with little management. The effects of livestock in these systems are diverseand can have negative impacts resulting in changes in the composition and dynamics of the plant community.From an ecological point of view, sustainable management that enhances regeneration to ensure the perpetuityof higher value species appears as a viable alternative. The aim of the study was to characterize the structureand composition of the overstory and understory of mixed of cypress and cohiue forests under differentintensities of silvopastoral use to understand its impact on the population dynamics. We used a paired sampledesign to study two levels of silvopastoral use (high and low intensity) in three sites. Independently of theintensity use, cypress and coihue presented the highest abundance and basal area. With high use intensity theabundance and basal area of minor tree species such maqui, radal and laura increased. The understorycommunity was the most affected by the intensity of the silvopastoril use. The intense browsing decreased theabundance, height and diameter of the saplings of the major canopy species; nevertheless, other species offsetthe loss in basal area, which would explain the abundance increase of non-dominant species in the canopy. Thecomplexity and heterogeneity of the understory were higher on sites with high use intensity. However, thesilvopastoral use intensity had no significant effect on the demographic structure of the forest. While highsilvopastoral use would not be compromising the perpetuity of forest resources, documented changes in theunderstory composition and structure indicate possible future changes in species dominance and structuralcomplexity of the overstory canopy